Car Stereo Max — Local services in West Carrollton

My job requires me to travel almost the entire state of Ohio, so good car audio is a vital element of my success and happiness. that being said, I’ve had a lot of exposure to “car audio stores“ during my travels. Sadly, many of them are barely hanging on or have gone out of business in favor of online retailers with DIY YouTube videos. CSM IS different. Not only do they understand car audio, they take the time to understand what you want and recommend things that will work to that end. Last week I stopped in for a minor repair and during the diagnostic process, we discovered one of the rear channels in my amplifier was gone. Since I had updated the head unit two years earlier, we looked at several options. Because I am on the road so much, I prefer a clean, sufficiently loud sound . They matched me up with a Sony Mobile ES XM-4ES amplifier. I had an original Mobile ES system back in the day, and was blown away by their performance and had high expectations for their new gear. , I live about 75 miles away from the store so I also had the opportunity to really audition this amp on the way home. As expected, it did not disappoint. Incredible detail and soundstage regardless of the source material.

Review Update

Big shout out to the CSM team in Miamisburg, Job VERY well done!!..... again! You guys rock!

It has been a little over a month since the amp was installed and I am still amazed at its performance. So much so, that I came back for the matching XAV-9000ES head unit. I had Sony's XAV-AX5500 and XAV-AX7000 head units installed with it previously, so a lot of the interface was familar and easy to navigate, but there were a few surprises too.

This new XAV-9000ES is an incredible piece of audiophile excellence for the road! The level of control this unit provides is simply ridiculous. for example, I spent over 2 hours just calibrating the time alignments for each channel! Absolutely everything was considered for the true audiophile on the road; Parametric EQ, slope adjustments for each channel up to 48db, fully adjustable crossover points, who does this stuff in car audio anymore!

Apparently, Sony [still] does! To be fair though, I have had some previous experience having installed an original Mobile ES system in my car back in the early 90's. To say that 1st gen ES setup was "overbuilt" would be a gross understatement! That being said, I have some very high expectations for my new XAV-9000ES. So far, this thing does not disappoint in any way!

I will continue to update this thread as we do further upgrades...

Well. . . I just can't seem to leave well enough alone! Every upgrade no matter how big or small, always exposes the weakest link in your system. In my case... speakers. While I did have an older very good component/coaxial setup...these new Hertz Mille Pro components and 2-ways are totally on another level!

These Mille Pro speakers have sooo much depth, detail and outright musicality. Their build quality and features are equally impressive. Paired with the XAV-9500ES's almost limitless tuning capabilties and XM-4ES's power output, these speakers will play absolutely any kind of music with amazing clarity and authority all day long. Might have to increase my daily drives, just so I can enjoy the music longer.

Many props to Gilbert and Michael for all your help, guidance and suggestions. You guys are the best!! You know...

Extremely Disappointed – Poor Customer Service & Subpar Installation

I had a frustrating and disappointing experience with this shop, despite spending nearly $2,000 with them.

Poor Front-End Customer Service: The person working the counter/showroom was outright rude and dismissive. When I asked if they could look at an issue with my remote start (not installed by them), I got a flat "no" with no explanation or alternatives offered—even though I was willing to pay. I also asked about speaker options for my wife’s car, and again, just a flat "no," with no effort to guide me toward a solution or other options. Not the kind of customer service I expect when walking into a specialty shop.

Charged for a Part They Didn’t Install: After spending nearly $2,000 on subs, amp, and a bass knob, I was handed my keys and sent on my way—only to realize the bass knob wasn’t installed. When I asked, I was told, “Oh yeah, we don’t have any in stock.” Yet I had already been charged $100 for it. They promised to call when it was in, but after 30+ days, I heard nothing. No follow-up. No apology.

Install Quality Was Lacking: I later discovered the amp wasn’t even mounted—it was left loose in my spare tire well. The power wire was zip-tied to my air filter housing clip under the hood. The overall install felt rushed and careless.

No Refund, No Accountability: Eventually, I stopped by in person (after waiting over a month) to request a refund for the $100 bass knob they never installed. I wasn’t asking for anything unreasonable—just the money back for the part I didn’t receive. They refused multiple times and would only offer store credit. After being treated dismissively again, I had no choice but to file a chargeback through my credit card. Fortunately, my bank ruled in my favor, but the whole ordeal was completely avoidable.

Bottom line: I would not recommend this shop. They treated me poorly, failed to deliver what I paid for, and left me feeling like an inconvenience rather than a valued customer. There are better, more professional car audio...

Not a fan. Got back my truck and my gauges not longer worked, and my blender switch next to the stereo was broken, so no air distribution. They denied everything despite this truck working perfectly before they had it all apart. My appointment was for Saturday, I got my truck back the following Wednesday not working and all screwed up. Complete fail. They lost a multi-returned customer for life.

Added 4-27-24 I appreciate your response, but I made the appointment the week before for the Thursday before. You called and cancelled that date, and made if for the following Saturday first thing. The truck was there when you opened. You never touched the truck till the following Tuesday. Yes, you were closed, but you didn't touch my truck on the appointment date. You knew my schedule, and cost me and my wife and entire vacation. You broke the blender control module, which cost me another 4 days to order one and get one that worked, and get it programed and installed. That cost me $1000 there guys. You said, and I quote "I could wait till the following Saturday and you could plug your OBD reader in and see what was wrong with the blender control module, but you were not going to fix it or accept any responsibility for it now being broken". So, why would I have waited for that? I brought you the exact OEM replacement radio and amp that came with the truck, and was installed in the truck when I brought it to you. Just a sway out, nothing more. Now, I'm out an entire vacation and $1000. I'll show you the receipt if you...